West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-29
THE COUNT VON NOLTKE.
THE CELEBRATED CHIEF OF
STAFF AND HIS EMPEROR.
His Early Poverty and Late Successes
Leaving the Danish for the German
Army--His Personal Appearance
His Numerous Talents
His Silence.

brated his Seth birthday He is s
childless widower, and to his castle
of Kreisau, far from the capital, die
he go to spend his birthday. There
his wife is buried, in the center OF O
park, under mausoleum. None OF
his family have lived to enjoy the
great mans fame.
Helmut Karl Won Moltke, al
though serving in the Danish army
when but 81 years of age, was not
born in Denmark, but at Parchim,
in Mechlinburg, his father, Baron
Won Moltke, retired Prussian Off
Ger, owning an estate In that grand
duchy. His mother was only a
burgher's daughter.
Won Moltke's father lost his
wealth with the fall of the father
land and entered the service OF Den
mark, rising to be lieutenant-general.
Helmut and his brother Fritz were
sent to Partern Kinckbeer's acade-
my, in Hohenfelde and afterward to
the military academy at Copenha-
gen, where they were very poor, and
where, as page, Helmut often waited
at table.
When absolved from his duties as
page he joined his regiment. Den
mark, as Napoleon's ally, had lost
severely. 1t was compelled to cede
Norway to Sweden, and became
bankrupt. Many of the young Off
GERS surrendered their commissions
and took foreign service. Among
them was the present great strategist,
Won Moltke. His dismissal was gran
ted with sneer.
His advancement in the Prussian
army was slow. Not till he had
served fourteen years in an under
charge. and was past thirty-two
wears of age, did he become first
! lieutenant In 1885 he obtained
leave of absence for a short oriental
tour, which was, by force of extra
ordinary circumstances, extended to
four years. The Turkish Sultan
chose Won Moltke to reorganize his
army, and for nearly five years made
him his chief adviser and counselor.
When Won Moltkc returned to
Prussia he was decorated with the
order of merit and was accorded per-
mission to wear decoration given
him by the Sultan. He had written
some tales of the orient, and these
falling into the hands Of Miss Mary
! Burt, an English girl and step
daughter of his sister, inspired in
her fervent admiration which rip
eneG into love upon acquaintance.
They were married after he was pro-
NOTED to the rank of major,and lived
together happily for a quarter of a
century; but she died before her
husband became celebrated.
Prussia learned Won Moltke' S
value during the seven days cam
paign in Austria; and he won the
Danish war also, though Prussia did
not realize it at the time. He plan
ned the French campaign, and when,
on that famous day in 1861, the en-
peror, with his victorious soldiers,
re entered the Brandenburg gates at
Berlin, with Bismarck and Moltke
at his side. the monarch showed his
appreciation of his chief of staff. He
created him count. With the sum
of money he got as his share from
the war debt paid by France. 5000,
GOO, he bought the estate of kreisan
Count Won Moltkc looks like the
photographs and engravings of him
Like Lincoln, the meanest wood cu'
intended for him resembles him
His face is clear cut and clear
shaven; his lips are thin and decis
i've looking; his eyes are blue, his
nose Roman, and he wears wig
modest mixture of chestnut anC
silver.
He has acquired fame in many
ways. He might be said almost t
be universal genius, rare as th'
product is. As strategist, as author
painter, musician and linguist h'
has won honors. He holds his Owl
in eleven tongues. But, with all hi
gifts, he cannot talk. He is known
at Berlin as ''The Silent" In tn
Reichstag he gives Bismarck hi
vote. but not his voice. Neithe
does he talk privately with his col
leagues.
1t has been asserted that the at
mosphere, physical and mental, o
the Prussian kingdom, is conduciv
to longevity. The emperor's physl
clans declare that, as he has no or
ganic disease, there is nothing Z
prevent him from attaining 100.
1t seems that he bars out all tn
predictions made about his long life
One story says that, at the time o
the Furstentag at Frankfort, il
1868, King William, one day, walk
, ING in the neighborhood of Baden
Baden, accompanied by Herr Vo
Bismarck and a number of ladie
and gentlemen, passed a gypsy hu
One of the ladies exclaimed:
THAT is where the famous gyps
: Girl Preciosa tells fortunes.
, The party. who were all in walk